Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is a national industrial association serving and representing nearly 2000 companies in private and public sectors in manufacturing, construction and service sectors of the national economy.

MISSION STATEMENT
To Promote, in close cooperation with its members, other organs of the Organized Private Sector (OPS), the government and other stakeholders in the economy, an enabling environment for industrial development, growth and prosperity of the society at large.

OBJECTIVES include: To provide for manufacturers throughout Nigeria, the means of formulating, making known and influencing, general policy in regard to industrial, labour, technical, social, legal and training matters; to develop and promote the contributions of manufacturers to the national economy through representation on all reputable bodies, government and others whose work may affect directly or indirectly, the interest of manufacturers; to encourage a high standard of quality of members products through the
collection and circulation of useful information and the provision of advice; to promote the export of members’ products through constant enlightenment; to communicate and liaise with kindred and other bodies in the accomplishment of the objectives of the Association and on subjects of common interest; to fulfil the objectives for which it was established, it is essential that the Association is fully representative of manufacturing enterprises in Nigeria.

MEMBERSHIP STRENGTH: Well above 2000 members, the largest manufacturing industries in Nigeria.

ORGANIZATION: The Association has a National Council, made up of a President, eight Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Chairmen of Branches, Chairmen of Sectoral Groups and elected members. The National Council is served by an Executive Committee and four Standing Committees namely; Economic Policy Committee, Finance & Establishment Committee, Small and Medium Industry Committee and Corporate Affairs and Strategic Planning Committee.

NATIONAL SECRETARIAT: The National Secretariat of MAN is headed by a Director General, who is the Chief Executive Officer and is assisted by a complement of staff.

SERVICES: Services offered by the Secretariat include the following:

· Public Policy Advocacy
· Monitoring and analysis of government policies
· Economic research and analysis
· Preparation of memoranda on topical industrial and economic issues
· Information dissemination
· Liaison activities
· Capacity building and manpower development
· Promotion and organization of trade missions and exhibitions
· Promotion of Made-in-Nigeria products
· Reconciliation and harmonization of diverse interests of members -
· Sectoral and Sub-Sectoral
· Specific intervention on members/Sectoral problems
· Business Consultancy
· Investment and financial advisory services
· Local and international business linkages
· Seminars and Conferences

SECTORAL GROUPS: MAN has ten (10) Sectoral Groups, seventy-two (72) Sub-Sectoral Groups as well as an Export Group structured as shown below. The Sectoral Groups are represented on the National Council by their respective Chairmen.

MAN REPORT ON NIGERIAN PORTS ACTIVITIES Report Of The Meeting of Importers with the Managing Director of NPA and other Agencies on the 4th of August 2005 at Marina, Lagos

Chief A. B. Sarumi, the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) declared the meeting open at 10.45am. He disclosed that meeting was called by the Ports Consultative Council (PCC) with the support of the NPA as a result of the complaints received from stakeholders especially Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and other members of the Organised Private Sector on port activities during PCC’s last quarterly general meeting of 28th July 2005.

The Chairman, 1st Vice Chairman and a Council member of Apapa Branch represented MAN at the Meeting. Also in attendance were the Branch Secretaries for Ikeja and Apapa.
Some of these complaints were:
1. Cargo being deliberately diverted to various terminals by NPA purportedly to keep those terminals busy and to
Decongest the ports
2. Such diversion involved, in most cases, the entire cargo in the carrier without taking into consideration that some of the cargo had been stepped down in line with the desire of the consignee and the fast track clearance Scheme.
3. Such diversion were done without the knowledge or permission of the consignee
4. Most of these terminals are owned by the NPA although they are being managed by private operators
5. Relocation of consignments to new locations had always been contrary to the destination indicated in the
Bills of lading
6. Consequently, the consignee must search for the terminal where his/her consignments had been
relocated having not been informed by the operators of the diversion
7. The additional problem of block- stacking in all the terminals and ports
8. Consignee being forced to pay handling charges and other costs to the NPA , terminal operators, the
Shipping lines and others for the re-location even when only one of them would have performed any
Action towards the movement of the cargo
9. Several payments to NPA, terminal operators, shipping companies are duplicated as the importers were
Forced to pay certain similar charges to terminal operators and, in many cases to the Shipping
Companies/carriers for visible and invisible services whether rendered or not

Problems of Multiple Agencies at the Ports/Terminals
1. Proliferation of government agencies with duplicating and overlapping functions at the ports. Many of them had claimed or had indicated that the laws, which established and empowered them to remain at the ports for certain functions, had not been revoked.
2. Some of these Agencies which are from the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Agriculture, Health, Immigration, Police, State Security Service, NDLEA, NAFDAC, SON, Navy, FEPA have more than one division at the ports with overlapping functions e.g. Quarantine Division, Fumigation Division, Port Health, the various Special Security Task Forces etc
3. Each of these agencies act independently and detain cargo including those already cleared by the Customs and those officially charged with such responsibilities
4. Each one of these divisions and agencies rushes into any in-coming ship about to anchor. Many a time one would find over twenty groups entering a ship that has just anchored
5. Each of these groups also wants to participate in the 100% inspection of containers/cargo and also come up with their own various charges/fines.

Reasons for high cost of imported cargo
1. Importers encountered delay caused from multiple inspection or threats of cargo inspection
2. Delay in the return of samples of imported products removed for laboratory tests, quarantine, by
some of these agencies for the completion of the clearance process by other agencies
3. Special concession and consideration not given to the large–scale manufacturers known to import
large consignment of certain raw materials on regular basis annually
4. Most of the government powered inspection agencies appeared not involved or aware of the fast track
Clearance scheme
5. Various cases of missing containers and the release of imported containers into wrong hands
6. too many documentation in the clearance of imports and exports
7. empty containers not being accepted by NPA and the shipping agencies when returned by importers resulting in unnecessary delay and fines
Decisions taken by the Meeting
The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief A.B. Sarumi announced the decisions taken by the meeting. This was after both groups, that is the port users and government agencies at the ports had been allowed to state their problems for the inability to clear their cargo within twenty-four hours or the shortest time possible.

1. Ombudsman (Complaints Centre) / Anti-Corruption Committee
An ombudsman to be set up where complaints on problems impeding cargo clearance and the
Fast track clearance of cargo at the ports could be lodged. The Anti-Corruption Committee
of the NPA and the Nigerian Shippers Council would be used as the arrow heads to fight
corrupt practices which had led to the various forms of extortion, high cost and delay
2. Once the imported shipment had been inspected by approved agencies simultaneously and released by
The Customs Department it would be illegal for any group to request for another inspection, delay or
Detain such cargo.
3. Immigration Services has no business with cargo clearance. Shipping companies should
Discountenance any request by the Immigration Services to provide the passport of the consignee. The
bill of lading should serve as instrument of identification
4. Shipping companies should discountenance the directive by SSS (State Security Service) to
obtain a DSS Form currently being sold for N200.00 before releasing imported cargo. The SSS was
advised to use the NPA and the Shipping Agencies to collect its data.

Containers
The Shipping agents and the NPA must be informed in time for the return of empty containers by the importers. Rejection of empties by Shipping agencies and NPA for reasons of lack of space was identified as one of the reasons for the high cost of clearing goods

Empty Container Terminal (s)
Due to complaints by importers on the inability to return empty containers for reasons of lack of space inside the Ports an Empty Container Terminals where such containers would kept under a private arrangement would be set up. A call up system would be put in place.
For the take off of the new arrangement, the NPA, Shippers Council, Ports Consultative Council, the Customs etc would be involved in the process of setting up and managing those terminals which would be used to repair containers. Fees would be paid for services rendered by those managing the terminals.

Transfer of Imported Containers
Importers whose cargo had been stepped down would have their bill based on what had been stepped down. Terminal operators and the NPA should not force importers to pay for cargo, which had not been transferred to them. Such cases of illegal payments for actions not rendered by terminal operators was declared illegal and should be reported to Anti Corruption Committee of the NPA.

Multiple Levies and Charges
A meeting was to take place among those with the responsibility of charging fees for port activities. It was revealed that multiple levies and charges had made the cost of clearing goods in Nigeria one of the highest in the World. Those agencies that would meet on these issues are NPA, Shipping agencies, Nigerian Shippers Council, Terminal Operators
The Shippers Association of Nigeria (SAN) was implored to obey the articles of the Memorandum of Understanding, which it entered into with other operators on its charges especially on deposits for containers which it said was based on the actual cost of purchasing new containers in the world market.
The Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) alerted the meeting that the ports were congested with over twelve ship carriers in the Nigerian waters not being able to berth to discharge its cargo.

Terminals
These would continue to play a role in the decongestion of the ports as the NPA continues with its concession programme.
The possibility of an importer fulfilling all the clearance process and terminating in the terminal where the cargo is located with each terminal as a Central Processing Unit was being seriously considered. This means that every government agency responsible for the clearance of cargo such as the Customs Area Controller would be situated in each terminal.

CUSTOMS/FAST TRACK CLEARANCE
Customs reiterated its readiness to implement the fast Track Clearance Scheme for reputable organisations that are involved in regular importation of raw materials. Such importers from reputable organisations such as MAN are currently being allowed to immediately remove 90% of their cargo while the remaining 10% could be removed on the payment of the necessary tariffs and duties.

It was disclosed that further efforts were being made to make the process of fast track clearance faster and better for MAN members. It however called on the Association to ensure that its members are genuine manufacturers with identifiable location.

For the Fast Track Clearance Scheme those members of the MAN should notify the NPA early at least two weeks by forwarding to the appropriate authority copies of bills of lading. The affected Shipping Agencies and the NPA were directed to inform the importer by the courier services the date of discharge and location of the imported cargo.